Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium

by Jessie H. Bancroft

The game opens with each party provided with a pile of this ammunition, which is thrown at the opponents through the doors and windows of the barn. A player hit once with a dart is considered "wounded," but may keep on playing. A player hit twice is "killed," and is out of the game. Each party must keep within its own bounds.

The party wins which has the fewest killed at the end of the game.

This was a favorite game with a group of Long Island boys, from one of whom the author obtained it.

SINGLE RELAY RACE

10 to 100 players.

Playground; gymnasium.

This game differs from the track event known as a Relay Race. The form here given is one of the best for engaging in strenuous exercise all of a large number of players in a limited playing space.

A wall or fence is chosen for a goal, or a line may be drawn across the ground for this purpose, or a goal object may be placed for each team, around which each player on the team must run. From fifty to a hundred feet back of this goal, or objective point, and parallel to it, a line is drawn to serve as a starting line.

The players are divided into two or more groups of equal numbers. Each group lines up in single file behind the starting line. If possible, there should be at least five feet distance sideways between the files. The first player of each file stands toeing the starting line, and at a signal runs forward to the goal, touches it with his hand if it be a wall or fence, or with his foot if it be a line on the ground, or runs around it if it be an object. He then runs back to his line and touches the outstretched hand of the next player (called "touching off"), who should have moved forward to toe the starting line. As soon as this touch is received, this player in turn runs forward, touches the goal, and returns in the same way. Each player as he returns leaves the playing space at the rear. The file moves up one place each time that a runner starts, so that the next player will toe the starting line.

The file wins whose last runner is first to dash across the starting line on his return run. If desired, each runner may hold a flag in his hand and pass it to the next player, instead of merely touching the hand. This flag should not be on a stick, which is dangerous for the runner receiving it.